Why Should I Have Fire Sprinklers In My Home?
We have all heard about the importance of having working smoke detectors in our homes, but do you know the incredible benefits of having a fire sprinkler system as well? Both detection systems should be part of a joint effort to protect your life and your property from fire. Here are some things you may not know about residential fire sprinklers.
How Do They Work?
The mechanical parts of automatic fire sprinklers are fairly simple. They are similar in design to outdoor sprinklers, just made with smaller pipes and installed above the ceiling.
The important part of fire sprinklers are in their detection capabilities. Rather than being activated by smoke, indoor sprinkler systems are activated by extreme heat. But this doesn't mean they will accidentally be set off if you leave town in the summer and turn off your air conditioning. Fire sprinklers are activated when the air around them reaches a temperature between 135 and 165 degrees Fahrenheit. There are very few things besides a roaring fire that will heat the air to that temperature, so this method of detection is fairly reliable. It is also quite simple: a small glass bulb filled with a glycerin liquid is suspended in the middle of each sprinkler head. When the glycerin reaches the temperature range mentioned before, it expands enough to break the glass bulb, turning on the water to that sprinkler head.
Benefits of Fire Sprinklers
Less water damage than the fire department
Sprinkler systems use six times less water than a fire hose to put out flames. This means that they can cause less collateral water damage to your home than if the fire department had to come out and douse your home with their hoses. In addition, most systems are set up so that only sprinklers affected by the heat will turn on. If the fire starts in your kitchen, the sprinklers in your living room won't turn on unless the fire spreads. So if the fire is extinguished or contained, fewer rooms of your home will be damaged by either smoke or water damage.
Quick response
Fire sprinklers can begin the work of putting out a fire in your home long before it reaches catastrophic levels. This means that there is far less chance that your entire home will be damaged, and more importantly means there is far less chance that you or your loved ones will be injured or killed in your burning house.
Work while you're gone
There are many reasons a fire could ignite in your home while you are away. For example, electrical wiring issues account for about ten percent of home fires in the U.S. If your electrical wiring fails, chances are pretty good it could happen when you aren't around. Unlike smoke detectors, fire sprinklers can actually do something about a fire in your home when nobody is home.
For more information, contact Nor Cal Fire Protection or a similar company.